The power of attorney for property in Illinois is a versatile and powerful document.  There are two main functions it serves for our clients at Lauren Jackson Law.  Not only is it used in all of our Estate Planning packages, but we also use it for our real estate clients who are selling property.  If I am drafting your estate plan, a power of attorney for property is strongly recommended and will be included.  This…

If you are trying to find out if a probate case has been opened for a deceased individual, there are a few steps you can take to find out that information.  If a probate estate has been opened, it will be with the county court for the county where the deceased party was residing when he or she died.  Here is a link for helpful websites if you are doing the research on your own.…

Occasionally, I have a case brought to my practice where a homeowner has died and had no known family members to whom the house should transfer.  In this case, there are a few different options for how to handle the future ownership of the house. If the homeowner created a trust before the death, and the house was properly transferred into the trust, then the successor trustee is responsible for making sure the mortgage payments…

Yes, if you are named in a trust as a beneficiary then you are entitled to a copy of the trust and an accounting annually of the entire estate. A lot of people keep their estate plan private for a multitude of reasons.  However, when someone dies and you have been named as a beneficiary you may want to know your rights.  Whether, the trustee of the trust likes it or not they have to…

Many cities and villages in Chicagoland and throughout Illinois require you to obtain a real estate transfer stamp before you can complete the sale of your property. If one is required, title companies will not complete the transaction unless a transfer stamp is provided the day of the sale. What is a real estate transfer stamp and how do you get one? A city or village that has a transfer stamp will have some, or…

An Executor for an estate is the person or entity chosen to carry out final wishes as stipulated in a will. Some of an executor’s responsibilities include: filing the will with the county clerk after the death of the testator, ensuring all debts/claims have been paid, ensuring all specific personal property distributions as directed in the will are made, distributing all remaining funds to the people named in the will after the payment of claims…

If you are selling a house, what exactly happens the day of the closing? First, the buyer will need to accomplish a final walk-through of the property. Before this can happen, all of your possessions must be out of the house. The buyer and their realtor will then visit the property one last time before heading to the closing meeting. I would estimate that over 75% of my clients who are selling, opt to not…